News

Dr Ryan Wick: Advancing bacterial genome assembly 

A highly-cited scientist and bioinformatics research fellow in Tim Stinear’s group and the Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Dr Ryan Wick is at the forefront of developing computational methods that improve the assembly and polishing of bacterial genomes. His project, ‘High-throughput bacterial genome assemblies with perfect accuracy’, seeks to develop new algorithms to refine bacterial genomes reconstruction from DNA sequencing data.  

“Genome assembly is an imperfect process, often resulting in fragmented or erroneous sequences. My goal is to make bacterial genome assembly as reliable and accurate as possible,” explained Dr Wick.  

“I am grateful for the DECRA grant which will allow me to develop new software and bioinformatics methods, which I will make publicly available as open-source code.” 

The University of Melbourne’s Professor Tim Stinear, Laboratory Head at the Doherty Institute, congratulated Dr Wick on his achievement and noted the far-reaching benefits of this project. 

“With the support of this award, Ryan can grow his pioneering and foundational research, which has the potential to significantly impact all spheres of microbiology, from biotechnology to precision medicine, and public health” said Professor Stinear. 

Dr Matthew Silcocks: Exploring human and pathogen co-evolution 

Dr Matthew Silcocks has developed a unique research niche, which leverages his knowledge of human genomics and population history to contextualise the evolution of some of humanity's oldest pathogen foes. His DECRA-funded project, ‘Admixture, Adaptation and Immunity in East Asian Genomes,’ will analyse the genomes of human populations from Southeast Asia and Oceania, to identify the genes and specific genetic variants implicated in fighting infection. 

Dr Silcocks said he was honoured to receive ARC’s support for his research. 

“I am deeply humbled to receive DECRA support to pursue this vital work. Prior studies consistently place genes related to infection and immunity amongst the strongest targets of natural selection in the human genome. My project will use new genetic data and bioinformatic techniques to explore how this phenomenon has impacted human populations from our corner of the globe,” said Dr Silcocks. 

The University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor Sarah Dunstan, a Principal Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute, emphasised the significance of Dr Silcocks' research. 

“Matt’s investigation into human and pathogen co-evolution, funded through this ARC DECRA, will further our understanding of how pathogens have shaped East Asian populations and how the immune system has evolved to fight them. His findings could significantly impact strategies to combat infectious diseases,” said Associate Professor Dunstan. 

For a full list of funded DECRA projects, including a snapshot of funding by state and territory, please visit the grant’s website.